Final Cadence

Edward Petrucci ’55 of Providence, RI, passed away September 17, 2008. He was 85. As a guitarist, Petrucci performed extensively throughout the East Coast and taught lessons in Providence and Cranston, RI, before retiring. A World War II veteran, Petrucci served in the European Theater and performed with the Shep Fields Orchestra in Le Havre, France. He leaves two sisters and several nieces and nephews.

Frederick R. Hines ’60 of Haverhill, MA, passed away on October 4. He was 80. A Korean War veteran, Hines worked until retirement at Hewlett-Packard Development Company. An accomplished musician, he sang and played bass guitar in bands in the New York and New England areas. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Joyce; three daughters; and six grandchildren.

William D. Luth ’64 of Fort Myers, FL, died October 24 at the age of 70. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, he played drums in several bands in Boston. He also worked at several car dealerships as a service coordinator and, in 1978, founded J&J Truck Equipment. He leaves his wife, Leslie; five sons; a daughter; and nine grandchildren.

J. David Santos ’72 of Nashua, NH, died September 13. He was 62. An accomplished lead and jazz trumpeter, Santos performed with the 564th Air Force Band, the Freese Brothers Big Band, the Platters, and the New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra. He leaves his wife, Martha.

Linda J. Bedell ’76 of Dearborn, MI, died October 22 after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer. Bedell, who graduated with a BA in music education, worked as a teacher for 26 years in the Dearborn Public Schools in Michigan. She is survived by her husband, David Bedell.

John “Jack” Manning ’79 of Venice, CA, passed away after a long illness. He was 55. Manning toured with the group the Hues Corporation, which released the hit “Rock the Boat” and earned two platinum records for his studio work with Mr. Mister. He also worked at Universal Studios on several hit movies and was pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology.

Richard Ehrman ’84 of Cambridge, MA passed away of a sudden heart attack on November 19. He was 51. Ehrman earned his bachelor’s degree in professional music and served as Berklee’s concert office manager for 25 years. He was an integral member of Berklee’s Concert Operations/Special Programs Department. A respected practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method, Ehrman taught awareness through movement classes for Berklee’s Performance Division and was the faculty leader of the Berklee chess club.

Ehrman was a member of the Agbekor African Drum and Dance Society and the Boston Village Gamelan. He also collected and played a variety of instruments including piano, percussion, melodeon, theremin, baláfon, and more. Ehrman will be remembered for his diverse and passionate interests in such areas as Zen Buddhism, cycling, science fiction, and tango music. Ehrman is survived by his wife, Liz; his father, Stanley; brother, Peter; sister, Amigone; and their families.